Jeff Jurena, who in his youth spent time as a community newspaper reporter, died Sunday, March 28, in Gilbert, Ariz. He was 57 and had been diagnosed earlier this year with stage 4 skin cancer.

An Atlanta native, Jurena grew up in Greendale, Wis. A natural athlete, Jurena loved sports, especially bowling and golf. In his younger years, he served as a sports reporter for several community newspapers and also worked for Reiman Publications, a Greendale-based publishing company now affiliated with the Reader’s Digest Corporation.

Patricia “Pat” Simms, who spent her entire reporting career of more than 40 years at the Wisconsin State Journal, died Monday, April 5, in Madison. She was 75.

After earning her master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University in 1969, Simms moved to Madison to join the State Journal reporting staff. When she retired more than 40 years later, Simms stayed active in journalism. She continued to freelance for the State Journal and served as an instructor at Madison College and was the faculty adviser for the Edgewood College student newspaper On the Edge.